Disclaimer: All characters belong to SquareEnix, we just brought them out to play.
Big thank you to our beta SephirothxAerith for Betaing and all of her contributions
Try Try Again 9
Tifa and Cloud busied themselves for the next while as the kids were at school, making all the preparations for visiting friends. This primarily involved making sure they had everything straight, a strategy worked out, and plenty of everyone's favorite drinks on hand. Tifa silently thanked Gaia for Cid having a gentlemanly streak; he was willing to keep her updated with their ETA.
When the Shera did touch down, Reeve, Red XIII, Cid, Shera, and Barrett came out and descended upon the couple.
"Well, well long time no see!" Cid chortled upon entering.
"You're looking well under the circumstances," Red XIII said calmly, mostly to Cloud, who nodded back with a soft thanks.
"Tifa!"
"Shera!"
"I am in disbelief you didn't inform us sooner," Reeve semi-scolded the couple in his casual way.
"Where's Marlene?" Barrett asked as soon as he stepped in the door, without so much as a 'hello'.
"Daddy!" Marlene came running in at the sound of her father's voice and leaped into his arms.
"There's my pretty thing!" Barrett boomed, giving her a big but gentle bear hug. "You're, Gettin' so big!"
"Big and strong like you!" she said, flexing her muscles.
"Course ya are girlie!" Barrett declared with warm pride before blowing a raspberry against his daughter's cheek. Marlene returned the favor in kind, and Cid, being Cid, captured this with his PHS camera.
"This is going on the Solstice cards!" The Rocket Town native declared with a deep throaty chuckle.
"Ear muffs Marlene," Barrett snapped before going off on Cid, much to the entertainment of the rest of the group.
Well. MOST of the rest of the group.
"Good to see you all, too." Cloud called to get everyone to focus back to the subject at hand. "Are uh... Vincent or Yuffie with you?"
"The Vampir' is on top o' The Shera. The Brat's still on her way from Wutai, should be here soon... hope yer Materia is locked up safe."
"It's not the Materia we're worried about this time." Cloud said, rubbing the side of his head.
"So where is the one we have all come to see?" Came Vincent's deep tone, suddenly right next to Cloud, causing everyone to jump a little.
"He's upstairs," Cloud said flatly.
"We'll send the kids up after him, once we've talked."
"You're gonna send the kids up to get that-" then remembering Marlene was right there, "guy?" Tifa shot Barrett a quelling look, the kind she used to give him in the old days, when she'd have to yell at him for taking care of problem patrons that she could handle herself. Now it was to warn him to back off of Sephiroth.
"Yes. Yes we are, because Marlene and Denzel get along great with him."
"And let me remind everyone that he has very, very, VERY good hearing," Cloud said his tone growing serious. "He might hear even without trying to eavesdrop, that's why we need to head into the bar.
"He liked my drawing for him!" Marlene chirped.
"What did you draw?" Barrett asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"It's in the kitchen on the fridge!" Marlene told him, proud beam lighting up her face, "Sephiroth said it needed a place of honor!"
"He did?" Barrett asked, taken aback, "Well let's go see it!"
His daughter was only too happy to do just that. It was no small relief to Tifa and Cloud that Marlene had offered some small proof of Sephiroth's mended ways.
"See!"
Cid let loose first, with a loud guffaw, Reeve laughed along with Red XIII, and Shera hid her face in Cid's shoulder to hide her giggles. Vincent and Barrett, however, took time to consider what they were seeing…
The drawing was of Sephiroth with adorable little cat ears.
"Guess it was a grey and white cat after all." Barrett said through soft chuckles, which allowed Cloud and Tifa to relax enough to smile.
"I don't think I've seen Sephiroth portrayed in quite that way before," was Vincent's response, a little bemused expression on his face.
"Well he thought it was nice!" Marlene declared, her face showing how put out she was feeling as the other adults bursts into laughter.
"We're sorry Marlene," Tifa rushed to reassure, "we aren't laughing at your drawing!"
"Yeah, you've got some serious talent girlie! We've never seen Sephiroth look well... 'cute' before." Barrett offered, and that seemed to mollify Marlene. Of course everyone else had to avoid looking at anyone else, for fear of another laughing bout.
"Marlene, go be with the other two; we'll call you all downstairs when we're ready," Tifa suggested, wanting everyone to be allowed to speak freely. The little girl did just that and so the group assembled in the bar that was locked up and had black curtains drawn to hide the light.
"Look, we know it's... weird and it's definitely an adjustment from before but..." Tifa trailed off looking for the right words to explain the whole situation.
"He's trying to build a life for himself... roots." Cloud continued. "Something he's never had before. A life of his very own that's not controlled by ShinRa. And he's made no threats or movements towards the kids or Tifa and I."
"We all have enough blood on our hands." Tifa said gravely. "If we kill him when he's given us no cause, how are we any better than ShinRa was?"
"Yeah... Scarlet did more damage to me personally than he did," Barrett mumbled absently rubbing his metal arm.
"Really, out of all us here... the only ones who've ever suffered at Sephiroth's direct hands are me, Tifa and Yuffie."
"And even then... Cloud and I realized... we only hate the psychotic side. That's the half that did everything to Nibelhiem." Tifa added.
"Yuffie grew up during the Wutai War where he was the ultimate destroyer and public enemy number one," Reeve said. "In essence she was brought up to hate him. I heard some scant reports that she tried to assassinate him when she was 8 years old. Luckily the weapon of choice of was a toy and didn't even stick through his coat. But still..."
"Factor in our recent adventures-" Cloud began.
"-And it could get seriously ugly around here." Tifa finished.
"Should I have a tranq gun ready?" Cid asked.
Both Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances seriously considering the idea.
"I don't suppose we could try... reasoning with her?" Red XIII asked calmly.
"Yuffie won't be reasoned with. Not with this." Cloud said somberly.
"I also have some Sleep materia if that fails." Vincent offered.
"Sleep Materia. Good plan!" Tifa clapped her hands.
"I guess we'll just have to deal with the situation when it arrives," Reeve said.
"Either way... no blood shed under this roof, capiche?" Tifa said firmly, in her best
'there-will-be-no-arguments' voice.
There was a general murmur of assent, although of course everyone was still concerned about the situation.
"You said... psychotic side of Sephiroth?" Reeve inquired casually, that keen mind hidden behind the gentle mask and silliness that got him on ShinRa's board of directors showing itself.
"From what he explained, when he died before in Nibelheim, his soul was split in two so to speak." Cloud explained, "The side that everyone knew as the hero and great General of SOLDIER went to and remained in the Lifestream like most souls, the other drifted, using Jenova's powers and pure hate to sustain himself."
"That's why Geostigma happened." Tifa spoke up again, "It wasn't Gaia that was angry, it was the essence of Jenova carried there by Sephiroth's other half." She paused in thought, remembering those dark days, "Can't say she isn't a patient monster."
"According to Sephiroth, Gaia decided it was too much of a risk to keep that other half in the lifestream, but just sending it back would only repeat our 'fun' endless cycle with that side." Cloud went on, "So, she went for broke, and sent BOTH halves back. That way Jenova is contained and Sephiroth gets the life he... deserved."
"So he's got two souls inside him?" Cid said looking completely bewildered – so much so that his cigarette lay completely forgotten between his fingers.
"What if the other one takes over?" Reeve asked carefully.
"It did before," Barrett muttered.
"Don't be so quick to judge him." Vincent spoke, gaining the attention of the group, "The planet does nothing by halves; if Gaia felt Sephiroth would be strong enough to act as a containment unit for his other self and Jenova, we shouldn't be so quick to doubt. How can we expect him to be confident enough to keep them at bay if we are not confident with him? It will only breed insecurity; insecurity breeds weakness."
"... what he said." Cloud agreed with the ex-Turk, "And the longer he stays here the less frequent the attacks occur."
"Cloud and I have a theory, the more of a life he builds on, the more roots he lays down-"
"- the more he can reject Jenova's call. Remember, Sephiroth before Nibelhiem wasn't just famous for stoicism... he was famous for having almost no personality at ALL." Cloud said, a dark expression came across his face, "Small wonder when something like what he discovered in Nibelhiem he had a psychotic break."
"And before he didn't recognize the threat within himself," Vincent said stoically. He lowered his gaze to the floor, partially hiding his face behind his high collar. "It is a terrifying thing to have other voices inside your head. At least I knew where mine were coming from. He did not."
"But...So..now he knows what the enemy is, so he can fight it, right?" Cid deduced.
"Yes, so far so good." Tifa nodded, "And you don't have to put on a show of liking him or tolerating him, he'd be more offended and distrustful of that then outward dislike. At least that's honest. Just... live and let live."
"Thanks to all of the ShinRa cover ups, most of the populace doesn't associate him with the happenings and goings on," Reeve said.
"And luckily we never enlightened them..." Tifa sighed. None there would forget that extremely painful decision to leave the general populace in ignorance of Sephiroth's role – though not ShinRa's – with Meteor, to give them an old hero to cling to while they rebuilt their world.
"So what's his next step from here? Does he want to join the WRO?" Reeve quirked an eyebrow. Despite everything that happened, Reeve was one of the few people left who had known Sephiroth before the great fall, and if he had truly returned to that state of mind, then his wisdom and experience would be a great asset.
"We'll let Sephiroth explain that. But, as you would expect, he has a plan." Cloud then looked upwards and yelled, "Alright kids, bring Sephiroth down here!"
The result was instantaneous pattering of little feet above their heads.
Barrett shifted uncomfortably in his chair, noticeably nervous about Marlene being in the same room as Sephiroth out of his watchful eye, but he tried his best to remember what they just said about Sephiroth's good side.
Everyone in the room seemed to simultaneously stiffen and straighten when the sound of heavier footsteps could be heard, their breaths held as they drew closer.
"Hold still I'm trying to make you look pretty!" Marlene scolded outside the door as Sephiroth refused to break his stride to accommodate her beauty regimen.
Once again Marlene single-handedly eased the tension in the room as everyone let out the breath they had been holding. There were even a few suppressed chuckles from Reeve and Cid.
Denzel came in first, greeted everyone, followed by Marlene who was leading Sephiroth in by the hand, the bottom half of his hair was braided and tied with a pink ribbon...
Despite the bright dressing of his hair, Sephiroth kept his face stoic and unreadable as he would in a negotiations meeting in hostile territory. He nodded respectfully to everyone and took a seat in between Cloud and Tifa.
Tifa took mercy, and began with Reeve, who at least was familiar to Sephiroth, "Reeve here is the head of the WRO; tell him what you plan and what you need from them."
"General." Reeve greeted with his usual cheeriness.
Sephiroth almost smiled. Almost. Even though he had not known Reeve all that well on a personal level back in the days of SODLIER, it was still a comfort to see a familiar face amongst strangers. "Director, in order for me to begin a new life properly I will need a legal identity, certificates, licenses, worker's permit, identification cards, and whatever else your current government requires." Sephiroth spoke formally, very much like when he was general and Reeve was on the board of directors. "At the current moment, Mr. Strife and Ms. Lockhart have very graciously offered me a position in helping them run the business end of Strife Delivery Service and the 7th Heaven Bar until I complete my training in the real field I wish to go into."
"Which is?" Reeve asked, his curiosity now peaked.
Sephiroth hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling as insecure as he did when he first told Tifa his idea. But after a comforting pat on the shoulder from the aforementioned woman, he finally spoke. "I am looking into the position of an RN, with perhaps specialization in Trauma."
"That's a very... admirable ambition. And an occupation in high demand."
"What's an RN?" Barrett quirked an eyebrow as he picked Marlene up and set her on his lap.
"Registered Nurse." Sephiroth said quickly. Cid was quickly jabbed by Shera while Tifa stepped on Barrett's foot to ensure no laughter or insensitive remarks could come out of either man's mouth.
Reeve then warned him, "It will require a lot of school though."
"I know, but I have been able to excel quicker than others. And I have contacts in the medical field who can help me."
"Very well. You'll need proof of prior schooling, identification with a photo, which means you'll need your original birth certificate, and a permanent address. These documents I can provide you with, or, at least, least locate the databases where they'll be stored. Tifa and Cloud will have to provide the proof that you're living here, as I assume you don't have any bills or mail with your name on it...?"
Sephiroth's only response was a head-shake.
"Very well, all Tifa and Cloud will have to do is swear an affidavit."
"Unfortunately all of my original identification things like my birth certificate and such were in ShinRa's keeping," Sephiroth lamented.
Reeve waved that away as if it was nothing, "Conveniently, the WRO has access to every database ShinRa had," a smirk, "and a few they don't know we know about. Rest assured, they'll have it in a database, and we will locate it."
"Thank you."
"Wait, what if someone recognizes him, I mean as General Sephiroth?" Shera pointed out.
"We don't think it'll be that much of a problem." Cloud had been thinking about this, "ShinRa declared Sephiroth dead after Nibelhiem and spent the whole of out adventures covering things up. That'll take care of Rufus and the Turks."
"And it's not like any of you have written memoirs about AVALANCHE or the Advent." Shera timidly pointed out, but received several nods to the truth of her statement.
"Who outside of the people in this room and ShinRa know about Sephiroth's involvement in Meteor and Jenova's Advent?" Red XIII concluded with his smile.
"And even if someone did, who'd believe that same guy would be an RN?" Barrett said.
"Good point that..."
"It is very true; most humans seem to miss a great deal." Red XII mused, "Present parties excluded, of course."
"And some do not wish to see." Vincent said stoically.
"And some are just stubborn..." Tifa threw in to lighten things up a tad, eyeing Cloud.
"I said I was sorry." Cloud muttered.
"Well look who's callin' who stubborn." Cid mock-scolded, only to get punched on the arm by the barmaid.
"Do I need to mention Shera?" She demanded.
"Alright, so is there anything else you need from the WRO Sephiroth?" Reeve said, before things could get too rowdy, and they got off track.
Sephiroth shook his head. "I cannot think if anything at the moment. Is there anything you need from me?"
"Do you know your last name?" Red XIII, ever logical asked. After all, if the database contains more than one Sephiroth...
"No... I was never told. If I had one, I suppose it would be on the birth certificate." The ex-general said, his gaze somewhat dull.
"I doubt there's any more than ONE Sephiroth, anyway." Reeve said.
"I think my birth mother's name was Crescent," Sephiroth strained to remember the documents he'd read that horrible day, and he was fairly sure he was right, "but then there was also Hojo's name. I suppose he can be considered my father... though I would rather he did not."
"Really? You don't say." Reeve was a little surprised. After all, there had been a rumor amongst the directors about Hojo long ago, "Hmmm... Well, my mother didn't change her name when she married, perhaps yours was the same."
"I suppose, it seems strange to carry the name of a person you never met and did not even know existed until hours before your death." Sephiroth said with an edge of bitterness creeping into his voice.
"But it also marks you as human, too."
"How so?" Sephiroth raised a suspicious eyebrow.
Reeve smiled that annoyingly wise and somehow vaguely predatory smile, "It's the name of a human family, one you were born into through one of their own and is yours and no one else's to claim."
Sephiroth's expression darkened. He got up from his chair, only to face the wall. He wrapped his arms around himself, gripping his upper arms so tightly that his fingernails started turning white. Both Tifa and Cloud tensed. Would thinking of his real mother bring on an "attack" at the worst time possible?
After a few seconds of tense silence, Sephiroth finally spoke again, frost coating his voice even more. "The same woman who willingly chose to have her unborn child used as an experiment, and did nothing to rescue him from it once he was born?" He finally turned around to face the others, his expression cold, except there was tiny bit of hurt in his eyes that he could no longer completely suppress. "Why would I want that name?"
"Shit...No wonder he snapped," Cid sunk down a little in his chair.
"Because it's one thing more Jenova could never give you."
"And one thing more I wouldn't want from her either," Sephiroth muttered coldly.
Marlene made a squeaking noise as she tried to hold back tears. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Barrett, her lip quivering a little. "That's sad. Why would his momma do that?"
There was a deep and penetrating silence as everyone looked away in search of an answer to the little girl's innocent question. It struck everyone close to home.
"Don't know..." Barrett answered truthfully as he again gathered her into a hug, "Guess there are some mommas out there that don't think about their kid's feelings as much as they should. But don't you worry girl, your momma loved you right to the end." He ruffled her hair and gave her an extra squeeze.
Vincent opened his mouth to speak in Lucrecia's defense, to say that wasn't exactly how it happened, but then closed it again. Defending her would mean telling everyone the whole sordid story of his and Lucrecia's lives, and he had no right to take Sephiroth's justified anger away from him. After all, Vincent felt himself equally responsible as Lucrecia for failing to save Sephiroth when he had the chance. He should have saved them both. He should have pushed his insecurities aside, told Lucrecia how he felt and escaped with her. Maybe their attempt would have been in vain, but at least they could have tried. Who knows, maybe they might have made it to Wutai, still independent at the time, and hidden there. Maybe they could have actually have been a family. Sephiroth would have had a fairly normal life and he and Lucrecia could have been...
He looked back at Sephiroth still hugging himself, still looking out with cold eyes hiding years of anger and sorrow and the emptiness that only the unconditional love of a real family could fill.
Could have, would have, should have, it was all meaningless now. The damage was done and could never be undone no matter how many explanations there were.
"If I can, I think I will stick with just 'Sephiroth' for right now," Sephiroth said, his voice slowly beginning to thaw back to its normal, calm tones. "That may have been given to me, too, but at least I have made that my own."
Reeve was kind, but firm, "You'll need a surname, for ID and school purposes. But amongst us, you can always remain just Sephiroth."
"It'd feels strange, as thinking of you as any name BUT 'Sephiroth'," Tifa said with an uneasy laugh.
Sephiroth sighed in defeat. "If that is what is printed on the certificate, so be it. But if there is to be one, could I pick one?"
"Yeah, cut him a break, ya know?" Cid said, putting out the last if his cigarette.
"Come on Reeve." Barrett chimed in gruffly.
"I don't see why not. I'll just see the proper adjustments are made, if that's that case."
"What name would you like to have if given the choice?" Shera asked kindly.
"I'll decide when the time comes," Sephiroth murmured.
"A wise course of action." Red encouraged.
"Alright, so then everyone is agreed here?" Tifa stated, knowing no one was really 'happy' about the situation, but wanting to see their agreement on this all the same, "Sephiroth will be left in peace?"
"As long as he lives just as peacefully, we'll let him be." Barrett concurred. The others all nodded to show their consent.
"Alright then... who's hungry?"
Everyone hesitated, still trying to take it all in. Meanwhile Sephiroth, who hadn't sat down since the discussion about his mother, took in a deep breath and let it out, before nodding politely at the others and excusing himself.
Tifa and Cloud watched him go and head quickly upstairs.
Tifa sighed wearily and took out an extra plate began loading it up for Sephiroth in a practiced motion she had done so many times before for Cloud when he fell into maudlin moods. Still she managed to plaster a comforting smile on her face. "Go on everyone."
"Just put it in the fridge for him. I've seen that look – he's not going have an appetite for hours, if at all." Cloud murmured lowly in her ear, to which she gave an affirmative head shake.
"I'll sic the kids on him in a little bit. That'll cheer him up." Tifa winked at him.
Cloud smiled back at her. "Good plan."
"Of course!" Tifa said, snatching a quick peck before anyone else would notice.
000
Meanwhile an unexpected eavesdropper arrived unannounced at the tail end of the meeting, just after the discussion of Sephiroth's name, and by the time the last word was spoken, she was shaking with fury.
It made her blood boil to hear Tifa and Cloud tell the others to just leave Sephiroth in peace, and even worse to hear everyone agree to it.
She couldn't believe it. How could they? How could they just forgive and forget everything that monster had done to them, to her!
After the war her country lay broken both in flames and in pride, and just when it was regaining some semblance of restoration, Sephiroth had sent meteor and Geostigma to ravage her country a second time.
She wanted to run and shout that this was madness, that Sephiroth had no right to be let off so easily. But for one of the few times of her life she held her tongue and stayed hidden. Oh no, that demon would not get off so easy, and if her friends would not do anything about it then she would just have to take matters into her own hands...
000
Chica: Okay... okay I'm sorry. It has to be said... Dun dun DUUN!